Separating apparatus for liquids.



K. O. RANDALL (in O. B. GIBSON.

SEPARATING APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1910.

Patented Apr. 8Q, 1912.

A'ITOENEY II I I I L. L..|

F7" l l/ I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I WW WITNESSES I III, 8 I w I IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I W 9 /M 5 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII I M av M I r w I I w a m WW 1 M d free passage of water. The, physical prop erties of plaster of 1 21115 render it oi special EN tj l l F? KARL C. RANDALL, OF EDGEWOOD PARK, AND CHARLES E. GIBSON, (3F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNO-RS TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CURPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA;

SEPAIR/ATING APPARATUS FOR LIQUIDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3%., 1912.

Application filed July 13, 1910. Serial No. 571,785.

*lLiquids, of which the following is a specito fication.

Our invention relates to separating apparains for liquids audit has special reference to apparatus for separating non miseibleliquids. l5

The object of our invention is to provide an apparatus of the above indicated class that shall be simple and durable in construction and eiiicient in operation.

Considerable difficulty has been experienced in the past with the formation and accumulation of water in transformer oil,

and our invention embodies an inexpensive and effective means for drawing off such accumulated water as 1t is formed and thus avoiding the disastrous effects which might otherwise be produced.

According to our invention, we make use of a substance or material which, when saturated with moisture, is practically impervious to oil but allows a comparatively value in this particular connection, although other substances having similar properties, may be employed, if desired.

Those skilled. in the art will readily understand that our invention is not restricted to specific structural details, matcriuls or liquids, the apparatus of our invention, broadly considered, may be employed to separate a variety of nonmisciblc liquids and may be constructed of a variety or materials.

\Vithout attempting to illustrate the various forms and uses of our apparatus, we will proceed to describe a specific embodimcntpi' the principle of our invention as applied to a common type of ele trical transformer, for the purpose of removing ivaterlfrom the insulating oil.

'lhe single ligure oi. the accompanying drawing, is a view, partially in elevation and partially in vertical section, of a trans former tank equipped with a separating apparatus constructed in accordance with our invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a separating apparatus l, Which is connected to a transformer tank 2, near its bottom, by suitable pipe fittings 3, comprises an inner casting t, having a projecting portion 5 at one end, to which the pipe fitting 3 is secured, an outer casting (l which is screwed upon said inner casting, a disk 7 of plaster of Paris disposed between said outer and inner castings, and a tube 8 which is adapted to be filled with water.

The inner casting 4 is substantially cylindrical in shape and its outer surface is provided with screw threads 9. The outer end of said casting; is provided with a recess 10, the outer portion of which is adapted to receive the plaster of Paris disk 7 and the inner portion oi which tor-ms a compartment or well ll which conununicates with the pipe fitting; 3 by a passage 12.

The outer casting (l is substantially of the form of a hollow cylinder with one end closed and its inner cylindrical surface provided with HCl'UW threads l3 which cooperate with the screw threads 9 on the inner casting l. 'lhe outer casting (3 also embodies a compartment or well 14-, an opening 15 ifii'o which the tube 8 is fitted and a drip cock 1?) which is adapted to drain the tube 8. if desired The plus-iciol luris disk 7, which is contained within a metallic ring lli, is titted tightly into the outer portion of the recees it) and the respective. sides of said disk are provided with felt washers l7 and 18*,

l lxporimenl. has determined that a disk of plaster of Paris, when saturated with water, is impervious to oil and it is therel'orc midcnt that said disk must be main-- [aim-d in a saturated. condition, the tube 5 being provided and filled with water i'or this purpose. 'lhc tube 8, which {its tightly into the opening 15 and conimunicatcs with the well i l, extends upwardly in contact with the transformer tank toa height substantially 83% of the normal oil level in the tank. The upper portion [,8 of the tube to is bent over to form an inverted U and the well 14: and tube 8 be tilled with Water.

Moreover, for acttial operation, it is essential that 'suihc1ent.Water shall be contained in the bottom of tank 2 to cover the opening in the pipe connection 3, and also to fill said pipe connection, the passage 12 and the well 11 of inner casting 4-. The oil level within the transformer tank is then adjusted until the water in the tube 8 is on the point of overflowing. Equilibrium is then established and, although the height of the column of water in tube 8 is less than the height of the oil in the transformer tank,

a balance between the columns is maintained by reason of the differences in specific gravity of water and oil. Assuming conditions to be as indicated, the operation of the system is as follows: Such water as may be introduced into or concentrated in the transformer oil, imniediately settles to the bottom, on account of its greater specific gravity, and the consequent increase in the oil level, tends to overbalance the column of water in the tube 8. The excess of water in the tank is therefore forced through the plaster of Paris disk 7, until ermilila-ium is reestablished, thereby causing a portion of the Water in the tube 8 to be displaced. This operation continues automatically as long as moisture becomes concentrated in the oil at a suilicient rate to maintain the tube full of water. If, however, this condition is not maintained, the column of water in the tube is gradually lowered, by evaporation, until the disk 7 is no longer saturated with water. in this condition, the dish of plaster of Paris is not impervious to oil and, on account of the unbalanced pressure and the unsaturated slate of the disk, oil from the tank is forced through it and is discharged from the tube until the oil level in the lube and in the tank become equalized. The action of the device as an automatic water separator is thereforedestroyed. .It is evident then that the separator is not ada pied for use except with transformers in which water is deposited from the oil in considerable quantities and at a more or less unit'm'm rate.

in cases where the rate oi deposit'oli water is iusutlicient to maintain automatic operation, the upper end ol" the tube-S may be closed and the drip cook 15 may be en:- ploycd from time to time, to drain oil the excess of :u'munulahul water. H will be observed that the drip cock i5 is lll'tllttl at the top of the well II so that the disk 7 is always maintained in a saturated condition to perform its function.

It will, of course, be understood that the apparatus, herein shown and described,- is only illustrative of a particular means for accomplishing a specific purpose, and that details andmaterials of construction, and the arrangement and location of parts, may -be materially varled from what is herein set.

forth, without departing from the spirit and scope or" our invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. The combination with a receptacle for electrical apparatus and insulating liquid, oi means for withdrawing water from said receptacle comprisinga hollow body provided with a filtering partition, means for connecting the chamber at one side of the partition to the interior of the receptacle near its bottom, and a water-filled pipe projecting from the other chamber approximately to the surface of the liquid in the receptacle.

2. The combination with areceptacle forf electrical apparatus and a body of insulating liquid, ot'a hollow body in open communication with the bottom of said recep-- tacle, and having a partition which, in a state of saturation, is impervious to said insulating liquid but is pervious to water, and means for maintaining said partition in a saturated condition.

3. The combination with a tank for clectrical apparatus and insulating liquid, of a hollow body comnnmicat-inQ; with an opening near the bottom of said tank, a body of porous material in said hollow body that is pervious to water but, when saturated therewith, .is impervious to Said insulating liquid,

and means for maintaining said material in a saturated condition.

4. The combination with a tank contain ing two nonmiscible liquids of different specific gravities, of a separating device communicating with the bottom of said tank and comprising a hollow body, a partition of porous material therein, said material having the property, when saturated with the liquid of greater specific gravit of being pervious to that liquid but in'ipervious to the other of said liquids-,fand a standpipe for the heavier liquid.

The combinationwith a tank for clcclricul apparatus and insulating liquid, of means for witluh'awing water from the bot?- tom of said tank comprising a two-part holliquid, and a stand-pipe projecting upwardly from said outer chamber to a predetermined height and filled with Water.

(3. The combination with a tank for electrical apparatus and insulating liquid hav ing an outlet near its bottom, a body of porous material disposed Within said outlet,

means for disposing of the liquid which passes through said porous body, and means for equalizing the pressures upon the sides of said body, under normal conditions.

7. The combination with an oil-containing receptacle, of a separator for removing water from the oil in said receptacle comprising an inner cylindrical member; having a recess at one end, an outer member adapted to be screwed upon said inner member, a disk of porous n'iaterial seated in said recess, and means for maintaining said disk saturated With water.

8.-The combination with a receptacle for two nonmiscible liquids of diflierent specific gravities, of a separating means connected to the bottom of said receptacle for removing the heavier liquid and comprising a body of filtering material and means for maintaining saturation of said material by the heavier liquid,

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 27th day of J une 1910.

KARL CHAS.

C. RANDALL. l). GIBSON. \Vitnesses:

II. M. Scheme,

B. B. lliNns. 

